Q: My 2-year old daughter's language skills do not seem to be as developed as the other children in her preschool. Should I be concerned about this?

A: All children develop at different rates, says The Help for Families panel. But if you are concerned, there is no harm in getting an evaluation.

"Each child has their own timetable of development," says panelist Suzanne Mulhern. "It is best to check with your pediatrician and discuss developmental milestones of language for children who are 2."

Children also develop expressive language and receptive language at different paces, says panelist Denise Continenza. Expressive language is what they use to talk, and receptive language is how they listen and understand words. Sometimes a child will be slower with expressive language than receptive language.

"Even if she's not talking as much, she may be hearing you and following commands," Continenza says. "Keep talking to her so she keeps hearing the sounds of language."

Don't compare her to other children, says panelist Pam Wallace.

"It is characteristic of our culture that we want to compare, but this is not a competition," panelist Chad Stefanyak agrees.

The panel says the website "Zero to Three" at http://www.zerotothree.org has many resources and information about developmental milestones for children from birth to age 3. According to the site, children age 18-36 months should know about 200 words that they can put together into sentences.

Preschool is a great opportunity for language stimulation, Continenza says. Talk to her preschool teacher to see what she thinks. Continenza adds that developmental milestones are very broad.

You can encourage language development by asking your child questions and asking her to verbalize her needs rather than anticipating them, Stefanyak says.

Also observe her language in different environments, says Continenza. Reading aloud to her, singing and reciting nursery rhymes also helps stimulate language development.

A pediatrician can help find out if there may be a problem that could involve hearing, speaking or processing.

"There are a lot of parts that can be disrupted," Stefanyak says. "That is why early intervention is important. The sooner you address the problem, the sooner the child will be able to catch up."

Lehigh County Department of Human Services offers a free Early Intervention Program that serves children with developmental delays from birth to 3. From age 3 to school age, the county intermediate units also will provide free services for children diagnosed with a delay. Children who have delays will get an Individualized Education Program, which will be developed to target the child's area of need and will follow them into school.